Canal dreamers : the epic quest to connect the Atlantic and Pacific in the age of revolutions / Jessica M. Lepler.

Author/creator Lepler, Jessica M. author.
Format Book
PublicationChapel Hill : The University of North Carolina Press, [2025]
Description341 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Subjects
Canals--Central America. --Planning.
Canals, Interoceanic--History. --19th century.
Canals--Political aspects. --Central America.
Canaux--Amérique centrale. --Planification.
Canaux maritimes--Histoire. --19e siècle.
Canaux--Aspect politique. --Amérique centrale.
Nicaragua Canal (Nicaragua)--History. --19th century.
Canal du Nicaragua (Nicaragua)--Histoire. --19e siècle.

Contents Treasure isthmus -- Fluid sovereignty -- The race to Guatemala -- Consul Savage and secret agent Mann -- The rain -- Recognition -- Corrupt bargains -- Climate changes -- Diplomats -- Nation divided -- Contract -- The race to Quincy -- Cancellation -- Visionaries -- Clinton's Ditch -- Aftermaths -- The shark.
Abstract "In the 1820s, there was a little-known quest to unite the world by building a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As new Spanish American nations declared independence and new canals intensified US expansion and British industrialization, many imagined the construction of an interoceanic canal as predestined. With dreams substituting for data, an international cast of politicians, lawyers, philosophers, and capitalists sent competing agents on a race to transform Lake Nicaragua, the San Juan River, and the terra incognita of Central American forests into the world's first waterway. Jessica Lepler tells the captivating story of this global journey in Canal Dreamers. Although the idea of literally changing the world by connecting the oceans proved too revolutionary for the Age of Revolution, the quest itself changed history. Canal dreams prompted political transformations, financial crisis, recognition of new countries, concern about climate change, and more. Full of adventure, corruption, far-reaching consequences, and present-day parallels, Lepler's absorbing narrative cuts through two centuries, revealing that dreams do not need to come true to make history"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in other formebook version : 9781469691602
LCCN 2025013869
ISBN9781469690544 hardcover
ISBN1469690543 hardcover
ISBN9781469690551 paperback
ISBN1469690551 paperback
ISBNelectronic publication
ISBNelectronic book
ISBNelectronic book
Standard identifier# CIPO000247750

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks HE536 .L47 2025 ✔ Available Place Hold